Had a couple decent-sized rain showers pass by this morning about the time we’d usually hit the trail, so dog and I waited a few hours. Didn’t hit the wet trail until late morning. No rain, but a thick fog.
Amazingly, I got a few bird photos. Oddly, no crows. Luckily, a couple of redstarts appeared in a flock of small birds following a gang of chickadees.
All in all, a lovely soupy day.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 10:29 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Hermit Thrush 2. Black-capped Chickadee 3. American Redstart 4. Red-eyed Vireo 5. Tufted Titmouse (v) 6. Gray Catbird 7. Eastern Towhee 8. Song Sparrow 9. Common Yellowthroat 10. American Goldfinch** (v) 11. Red-breasted Nuthatch 12. American Robin* 13. Blue Jay (v)
Elsewhere
14. Mourning Dove 15. Herring Gull 16. American Crow 17. Rock Pigeon 18. Carolina Wren (v)
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
A rather auspicious hike with dog this morning. First, the sun emerged after a couple misty days, which mixed things up a bit. Second, we encountered lesser-seen species like hummingbirds, hawks, osprey. Third, we got closer to a wild raven than we ever have.
It was a young bird, and it was in the field near the trail, eating blueberries for breakfast. I’d been checking a birch across from the raven, where I thought I saw a warbler, when it croaked. Its nearness startled me. Just there, not thirty feet away. I managed to grab a few photos, even a video or two, while it popped blueberries into its mouth, croaking occasionally. Then it flapped up into the bird I’d been scanning and preened for a while.
I count it as something of a blessing.
Beech Hill List Beginning at 7:49 a.m., I hiked most trails.
1. Blue Jay 2. White-breasted Nuthatch 3. Black-capped Chickadee 4. American Crow 5. Red-eyed Vireo 6. Hairy Woodpecker 7. American Goldfinch 8. Eastern Wood-pewee 9. Red-bellied Woodpecker 10. Brown Creeper 11. Eastern Towhee 12. Gray Catbird 13. Cedar Waxwing 14. Purple Finch 15. Ruby-throated Hummingbird 16. Least Flycatcher 17. Black-throated Green Warbler 18. Savannah Sparrow 19. Song Sparrow 20. Cooper’s Hawk 21. Common Raven 22. American Robin 23. Common Yellowthroat 24. Broad-winged Hawk 25. Yellow-rumped Warbler 26. Osprey 27. Red-breasted Nuthatch 28. Hermit Thrush
Elsewhere
29. Mourning Dove 30. Herring Gull
Mammals
Eastern Gray Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere †First-of-year
On our hike this foggy, misty morning, dog and I encountered a bird wave. Well, more like a ripple, perhaps—and Captain Jack didn’t really care to notice—but I found myself transfixed with the variety of little bird species flitting in the dewy greenery.
Coming up through the woods, few species. At the summit, one or two. Down toward the main gate of Beech Hill Preserve? A whole bunch of ’em.
